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<h1>RE-STEM, Rail Enabled Sustainable Transportation of Essential Minerals</h1>The essential minerals industry in North America is at an inflection point. Re-shoring and re-industrialization provide a timely opportunity for the expansion of continental mineral mining and production. The industry can serve these developments and reap its just rewards by integrating environmental stewardship with industrial progress, setting a new standard that meets market demands while preserving the planet for future generations. The path to success can be advanced collaboratively with relevant stakeholders by embracing whole systems planning, full lifecycle accounting, and multi-modal transportation that optimizes the use of railroads.
= RE-STEM: Rail Enabled Sustainable Transportation of Essential Minerals =


The challenges of counterproductive regulations, well-meaning environmental groups, and community resistance persist. Embracing the principles of RE-STEM will facilitate the cooperation necessary to resolve these challenges. RE-STEM participants will inform the necessary design improvements to the essential minerals industry and its logistics by balancing economic growth, environmental stewardship, and stakeholder interests.<h3>Foundational Principles</h3>
== Introduction ==
The essential minerals industry in North America is at an inflection point. Due to re-shoring, re-industrialization, and population growth trends, there is an ideal time to expand continental mineral mining and production. The mineral industry can serve these developments and reap economic rewards by integrating environmental stewardship with industrial progress, setting a new standard that meets market demands while preserving the planet for future generations. The path to success can be advanced collaboratively with relevant stakeholders by embracing whole systems planning, full lifecycle accounting, and multi-modal transportation that optimizes the use of railroads.  


# Collaborative Industrial Optimization
== Join Up! ==
# Environmental Responsibility
Lets work together right now. Go to [[Participation Options]] to enter this world of positive change collaboration. The OTNA Staff look forward to meeting you. Essential Minerals Environmental and Community IntelliConference
# Community Engagement
# Transparent Communication
# Sustainable Systems Capitalization


== Essential Minerals Environmental and Community Advocacy IntelliConference ==
== RE-STEM Stakeholders ==
Collaboration among stakeholders is fundamental to achieving economically and environmentally sustainable and practical growth opportunities for:
* Essential mineral companies;
* essential mineral-related companies;
* class 1, 2, and 3 railroads, and;
* the industries and communities they serve.


=== Background Statement: ===
RE-STEM engages fourteen interdependent stakeholder groups:
Existing forums and methods for stakeholder engagement rely on competitive debate at best, creating barriers to honest communication and alignment. Rational, multidimensional idea generation and problem-solving for sustainable mineral production, use, and logistics is almost impossible. A new way for stakeholders to engage is needed. CAPSI provides that forum and method.


=== Core Question: ===
* Industry leaders;
What optimal volumes, locations, and design elements of essential mineral mining and processing can industry and community stakeholders, including company management, association leaders, unions, environmental organizations, and community advocacy groups agree on for a profitable and sustainable mineral mining industry?
* investors, banks, and economic developers;
* employees, customers, suppliers, and citizens;
* essential minerals planners, land developers, realtors, and site selectors; and
* other services and government leaders.


<span style="color:#477F97;"><big><u>'''''Round One Dialogue Questions-Mineral Supply Chain Framing:'''''</u></big></span>
Learn more about [[RE-STEM: A Continental Action Plan|RE-STEM Stakeholders]].


# Which stakeholder groups do we want to have a voice in this IntelliConference?
== IntelliConference Series ==
# What are the continent’s “essential minerals?”
RE-STEM IntelliConferences Series begin with the most important dialogues for advancing North America’s essential mineral needs. The IntelliConferences are being conceived with the input of key essential mineral stakeholder participants. Based on this input these topics may change.
## What factors do we apply to determining the “essential minerals?”
## What factors do we apply to determine how much of each essential mineral we need and want?
## What volumes of mineral supply are needed to support the clean energy transition?
# What are the current volumes of each essential mineral supply?
# What are the current locations of each essential mineral supply?
# What are the supply chain components for production, processing, and consumption?


<span style="color:#477F97;"><big><u>'''''Round Two Dialogue Questions-Environmental Issues Framing'''''</u></big></span>
* '''[[Foster Community Engagement and Benefit-Sharing]]''' - Create frameworks that ensure communities and advocacy groups participate in decision-making and receive tangible benefits from mining operations.
* '''[[Streamline Permitting and Regulatory Frameworks]]''' - Establish expedited permitting procedures without compromising environmental standards, reducing approval timelines from 7-10 years to 2-3 years.
* '''Develop Advanced Mining Technologies''' - Invest in automation, precision extraction methods, and AI-enabled resource mapping to minimize environmental impact while maximizing yield.
* '''Establish Robust Supply Chain Infrastructure''' - Create integrated transportation networks prioritizing rail transport, emphasizing multimodal capabilities to efficiently move materials from mines to processors to manufacturers.
* '''Implement Full Lifecycle Accounting''' - Adopt comprehensive accounting practices that capture all environmental, social, and economic impacts from exploration through reclamation.
* '''Expand Domestic Processing Capabilities''' - Build processing facilities within the US to reduce dependence on foreign refinement and create complete mineral value chains domestically.
* '''Create Public-Private Investment Partnerships''' - Develop funding mechanisms that share risk between government and industry to support capital-intensive mining projects and processing facilities.
* '''Build Workforce Development Programs''' - Establish specialized education and training initiatives to address the skills gap in modern mining, processing, and sustainability practices.
* '''Advance Circular Economy Systems''' - Implement recycling and reclamation technologies to recover essential minerals from waste streams and end-of-life products.
* '''Coordinate Strategic Mineral Stockpiling''' - Develop a national strategic reserve of essential minerals to buffer against supply disruptions and price volatility.


# What environmental concerns do we want to address in how minerals are mined?
== Notes ==
# What environmental concerns do we want to address in how minerals are processed?
This material is form the original draft of this page. Per Jeff's discussion with Michael we are attempting to standardize on Industry Action Plan front pages<h3>Foundational Principles</h3>
# What environmental concerns do we want to address in how minerals are used and recycled?
# How do we best assess the environmental impacts of each step in each mineral's supply chain?
# What are the opportunities for conserving the use of each essential mineral?
# What has to happen to accommodate reducing the consumption of individual minerals when deemed beneficial to the environment?
# When harmful environmental impacts are deemed unavoidable for any supply chain activities, how do we mitigate them?
# What steps must be taken to communicate anticipated environmental impacts with transparency and trust?


<span style="color:#477F97;"><big><u>'''''Round Three Dialogue Questions-Community Issues Framing'''''</u></big></span>
# [[Collaborative Industrial Optimization]]
 
# Environmental Responsibility
# What community concerns must be effectively addressed?
# [[360° Stakeholder Mapping|Community Engagement]]
## What are the environmental risks of mineral mining?
# Transparent Communication
## What are the degrees of risk between varying mineral mines?
# Sustainable Systems Capitalization
## What concerns for transportation of minerals, ores, and products must be addressed?
## What factors have to be addressed for mineral companies to use "Best Available Technology" throughout the life of the mine?
## How can potential health risks to communities be mitigated?
## What steps can be taken to protect against esthetic degradation?
## How can communities maintain their sense of "place attachment?"
## How do mineral activity managers generally relate to community concerns?
## What challenges to mineral companies are posed by uninformed citizens?
## What steps can be taken to mitigate citizens' propensity to overestimate risk?
## What steps can be taken to mitigate citizens' concerns around mine and facility closures?
## What steps can be taken by mineral companies to improve relationships with communities?
## What steps can be taken to increase the community's trust in mineral companies?
 
<span style="color:#477F97;"><big><u>'''''Round Four Dialogue Questions-Aligning Interests:'''''</u></big></span>
 
# How can citizens be motivated to appreciate how the greater good advances their self-interests?
# What would enhance citizens’ trust in governments and private enterprises?
# How can the community's awareness of proposed mining activity be communicated?
## Switch from DAD (decide, announce, defend) to ADD (announce, discuss, decide)
## Community-oriented mining increases domestic participation in the global mining boom and ensures equitable and resilient supply chains.
## Shifting from fossil fuel-based energy to materials-based energy will allow North America to progress toward sustainability.
## Materials-based energy requires less drilling than fossil-fuel energy.
## Mineral mining in North America alleviates our foreign dependency.
# What strategies promote the acceptance of new mines?
# What understandings will inform stakeholder's embrace of the value of essential mineral production?
## We rely on minerals for almost every aspect of modern life.
## China is a significant global mining and processing leader.
## Shipping minerals by sea negatively impacts the environment, negating the benefits of products made with minerals, such as electric car batteries and wind turbines.
## Mining for coal occurs at the surface, leaving large scars on the land, while mining for minerals occurs at a further depth in the earth, leaving less visible effects.
## Show pictures of past successful projects.
## Communicate the safety and environmental record of essential .
# What socioeconomic gains result from mineral production?
## Mining is the first link in value chains.
## Mineral wealth undergirds community economic vitality.
## Mining enhances a regional cultural identity.
# How can mining companies relate productively with communities and community leaders?
## How can mineral companies increase openness and transparency?
## What decision-making protocols have been used effectively?
## What steps can mineral companies take to acknowledge citizen’s concerns as valid?
## How can mining companies and community leaders agree on development implications and responsibilities?
### Infrastructure upgrades
### Increased traffic pressure on transportation infrastructure
### Increased population
### Increased demand for housing and potential home price escalation
### Increase demand for public services, e.g., school enrollment, hospitality, medical services, recreation sites, public lands
## How can mining companies and community leaders agree on a "Community Benefits Agreement?"
 
== Essential Minerals Policy and Governmental Agencies IntelliConference ==
 
=== Background Statement: ===
Regulations and permitting processes evolve over time among public- and private-sector actors without important levels of trust, free-flowing engagement, and commercial sensibilities. Consequently, both public interests and private sector progress are handicapped. A new approach for updating the regulatory and planning framework for the essential minerals supply chain is needed.
 
=== Core Question: ===
What regulations can stakeholders agree on that are either outdated, de minimis, redundant, counterproductive, or can be improved or replaced in support of the growth and safety of essential mineral production and delivery?
 
<span style="color:#477F97;"><big><u>'''''Round One Dialogue Questions-Issue Framing:'''''</u></big></span>
 
# Which federal agencies might be enrolled in participating and supporting RE-STEM?
## Environmental Protection Agency
## U.S. Department of Labor Mining Safety and Health Administration
## U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management
## U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service
## U.S. Department of Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
## U.S. Department of Interior, Division of Mineral Resources
## U.S. Department of Energy
# Which federal laws regulate mining?
## National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
## Clean Air Act (CAA)
## Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
## Clean Water Act (CWA)
## Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
## Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
# Which state and local agencies might be enrolled in participating and supporting this development?
## State Surface Mining Commissions
## State Bureau of Mines and Geology Departments
## State Departments of Natural Resources
# What are the concerns of the government agencies that encounter the mineral industry?
 
 
 
<span style="color:#477F97;"><big><u>'''''Round Two Dialogue Questions-Issue Exploration:'''''</u></big></span>
 
# What policy and regulatory issues are the Essential Minerals Association and its members concerned with?
## Clean Energy Reform Act
## The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act reaffirms decades of mining law and precedent and provides certainty for America's mineral producers.
# What policy solutions will support the development of increased processing capacity?
## https://fas.org/publication/critical-thinking-on-critical-minerals/
# How can government agencies and the Essential Minerals Association agree on regulatory legislation?
# How can government agencies improve mining permit inefficiencies?
## NEPA
## Improved Jurisdictional Coordination
## Uniform Interagency Approach
## Adequate Staffing and Specialized Talent
## https://natlawreview.com/article/permitting-reform-united-states

Latest revision as of 18:45, 28 March 2025

RE-STEM: Rail Enabled Sustainable Transportation of Essential Minerals

Introduction

The essential minerals industry in North America is at an inflection point. Due to re-shoring, re-industrialization, and population growth trends, there is an ideal time to expand continental mineral mining and production. The mineral industry can serve these developments and reap economic rewards by integrating environmental stewardship with industrial progress, setting a new standard that meets market demands while preserving the planet for future generations. The path to success can be advanced collaboratively with relevant stakeholders by embracing whole systems planning, full lifecycle accounting, and multi-modal transportation that optimizes the use of railroads.

Join Up!

Lets work together right now. Go to Participation Options to enter this world of positive change collaboration. The OTNA Staff look forward to meeting you. Essential Minerals Environmental and Community IntelliConference

RE-STEM Stakeholders

Collaboration among stakeholders is fundamental to achieving economically and environmentally sustainable and practical growth opportunities for:

  • Essential mineral companies;
  • essential mineral-related companies;
  • class 1, 2, and 3 railroads, and;
  • the industries and communities they serve.

RE-STEM engages fourteen interdependent stakeholder groups:

  • Industry leaders;
  • investors, banks, and economic developers;
  • employees, customers, suppliers, and citizens;
  • essential minerals planners, land developers, realtors, and site selectors; and
  • other services and government leaders.

Learn more about RE-STEM Stakeholders.

IntelliConference Series

RE-STEM IntelliConferences Series begin with the most important dialogues for advancing North America’s essential mineral needs. The IntelliConferences are being conceived with the input of key essential mineral stakeholder participants. Based on this input these topics may change.

  • Foster Community Engagement and Benefit-Sharing - Create frameworks that ensure communities and advocacy groups participate in decision-making and receive tangible benefits from mining operations.
  • Streamline Permitting and Regulatory Frameworks - Establish expedited permitting procedures without compromising environmental standards, reducing approval timelines from 7-10 years to 2-3 years.
  • Develop Advanced Mining Technologies - Invest in automation, precision extraction methods, and AI-enabled resource mapping to minimize environmental impact while maximizing yield.
  • Establish Robust Supply Chain Infrastructure - Create integrated transportation networks prioritizing rail transport, emphasizing multimodal capabilities to efficiently move materials from mines to processors to manufacturers.
  • Implement Full Lifecycle Accounting - Adopt comprehensive accounting practices that capture all environmental, social, and economic impacts from exploration through reclamation.
  • Expand Domestic Processing Capabilities - Build processing facilities within the US to reduce dependence on foreign refinement and create complete mineral value chains domestically.
  • Create Public-Private Investment Partnerships - Develop funding mechanisms that share risk between government and industry to support capital-intensive mining projects and processing facilities.
  • Build Workforce Development Programs - Establish specialized education and training initiatives to address the skills gap in modern mining, processing, and sustainability practices.
  • Advance Circular Economy Systems - Implement recycling and reclamation technologies to recover essential minerals from waste streams and end-of-life products.
  • Coordinate Strategic Mineral Stockpiling - Develop a national strategic reserve of essential minerals to buffer against supply disruptions and price volatility.

Notes

This material is form the original draft of this page. Per Jeff's discussion with Michael we are attempting to standardize on Industry Action Plan front pages

Foundational Principles

  1. Collaborative Industrial Optimization
  2. Environmental Responsibility
  3. Community Engagement
  4. Transparent Communication
  5. Sustainable Systems Capitalization
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